Mobilidade, acidentes de trânsito e fatores associados entre estudantes universitários da Guatemala

El objetivo fue identificar y cuantificar la asociación entre la intensidad de exposición (km/año recorridos), la accidentalidad y sus factores asociados en universitarios de Guatemala. Se realizó un estudio trasversal durante el curso 2010-2011, sobre una muestra de 1.016 conductores, quienes cumplimentaron un cuestionario autoadministrado que valoraba: patrones de movilidad, uso de dispositivos de seguridad, estilos de conducción y accidentalidad. Se obtuvieron asociaciones positivas entre la intensidad de exposición y la mayor implicación en circunstancias de riesgo al volante (coeficiente de regresión ajustado de 3,25, IC95%: 2,23-4,27, para las mayores exposiciones). Tanto una mayor implicación en tales circunstancias, como una mayor edad, fueron las variables más fuertemente asociadas con la mayor accidentalidad. Pese a que la intensidad de exposición se asocia positivamente con una mayor accidentalidad, se constató que la mayor parte de dicha asociación está mediada por una mayor implicación en circunstancias de riesgo al volante.The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the association between the amount of driving (km/year), traffic accidents, and other factors among university students in Guatemala. A cross-sectional study was performed during the 2010-2011 school year in a sample of 1,016 drivers who completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed mobility patterns, use of safety accessories, driving style, and automobile crashes. The results showed a positive association between amount of driving and greater involvement in risky driving (adjusted regression coefficient 3.25, 95%CI: 2.23-4.27, for the highest level of exposure). More frequent involvement in risky driving and older age showed the strongest associations with traffic accidents. Although the amount of driving was positively associated with a higher accident rate, most of this association was found to be mediated by involvement in risky driving practices.O objetivo foi identificar e quantificar a associação entre a intensidade de exposição (km/anos percorridos), a acidentalidade e os seus fatores em universitários da Guatemala. Realizou-se um estudo transversal durante o curso 2010-2011 sobre uma amostra de 1.016 condutores de veículos, que responderam a um questionário autoadministrado que valorizava: padrões de mobilidade, uso de dispositivos de segurança, maneira de condução e acidentalidade. Obtiveram-se associações positivas entre intensidade de exposição e maior implicância em circunstâncias de risco ao conduzir (coeficiente de regressão ajustado a 3,25; IC95%: 2,23-4,27, para as maiores exposições). Tanto a maior implicância em ditas circunstâncias como uma maioridade foram as variáveis mais fortemente associadas com a maior acidentalidade. Apesar de a intensidade de exposição ser associada positivamente com uma maior acidentalidade, estabelecemos que a maior parte da dita associação está mediada pela maior implicância em circunstâncias de risco ao conduzir

Relationships between young drivers' personality characteristics, risk perceptions, and driving behaviour

Research has shown that inexperienced drivers underestimate the risks associated with a range of driving situations. In addition, personality factors are an important influence on both risk perceptions and driving behaviour. The study investigated the strength of relationship between personality factors, risk perceptions, and driving behaviour among young, mainly inexperienced drivers. One-hundred and fifty-nine students aged between 17 and 20 completed an online questionnaire assessing five facets of personality, four components of risk perceptions, and one measure of driving behaviour. Using structural equation modeling as a means of assessing the overall fit of each model, 39% of the variance in young drivers' speeding was accounted for by Excitement-Seeking, Altruism, their Aversion to Risk Taking, and their own likelihood of having an accident, with Altruism and Aversion to Risk Taking both showing moderate negative relationships. Road safety interventions should examine whether they strengthen young drivers' appreciation of the impact of their actions on others through positive reinforcement of altruistic norms

Gender differences measured on driving performances in an urban simulated environment

For decades, researchers have highlighted significant differences in gender and age groups in terms of driving behaviour. There are several studies, concerning gender, about the different perceptions of risk, traffic accident involvement and risky driving. The present research is a part of a research project about risk perception between genders that aims to estimate and quantify gender differences in terms of driving behaviour. In particular, this paper aims to focus on differences between male and female drivers in performing stopping maneuver in an urban environment. As confirmed by several medical studies, the gender difference involves cognitive and psychophysiological differences, which have a significant impact on the risk perception assessment. In the past, several researches have investigated gender differences on driving behaviour through questionnaire, statistical analysis and psychological driving task, but today technological advances have allowed the development of new tools to study the drivers’ behaviour. In fact, many studies in the field of road safety were recently conducted with the virtual reality driving simulator. In this instance, the analysis is carried out through the virtual reality driving simulator, situated in the LASS3 Virtual Reality Laboratory of University Research Centre for Road Safety, by implementing a simulated scenario of an urban condition with many sudden events (e.g. intersection, pedestrian crossing, merging vehicle into the traffic, etc.) that can lead to a stopping maneuver. The LASS3 virtual reality driving simulator collects all the kinematic and dynamic driving measures (e.g. speed, acceleration, position respect to the lane, pedal pressure, etc.) with a frequency of 0.1 s. A sample of 40 drivers were subjected to the driving test and the results of three indicators of risk perception are studied in order to confirm the results of the previous analysis. The selected indicators for the analysis are: time to collision (TTC), pressure on brake pedal (PB) and slip ratio (SR). As results show, male and female drivers have a different behaviour in performing stopping maneuver. Even if they have the same perception of the potential risk of the road environment (TTC values), they perform in a very different way the stopping maneuver: men more carefully than women (PB, SR)